The Ontario Ombudsman wants to slam the brakes on the practice of government failing to tell drivers when their licences are suspended and reinstated.In the wake of stories by the Star’s Norris McDonald, Paul Dubé announced Wednesday he would be probing how the Ministry of Transportation communicates licence suspensions and reinstatements to motorists.“We have heard from drivers who went for years without knowing their licences were suspended,” said Dubé.“When they finally found out, it was through their insurance company or police, not the ministry — which then treated them as brand-new drivers, requiring them to go through the graduated licencing program to have their licences reinstated,” he said.Dubé said, while his office has been working with transportation officials in recent years to improve suspension and reinstatement fee notification letters, complaints continue.That suggests “an underlying systemic problem” in a department that sends out about 130,000 suspension notices annually to drivers who have failed to pay traffic fines, he said.Celso Pereira, press secretary to Transportation Minister Steven Del Duca, said the ministry “takes the concerns of the ombudsman very seriously.”“As we have said prior to this announcement, we understand that there are concerns that the system should be strengthened to ensure effective notification, and that is why we are already taking a look at the matter,” said Pereira.“The ombudsman’s investigation will assist with the internal work the ministry is already doing in collaboration with partner ministries to find the most effective way to notify ‎drivers whose driver’s licenses are suspended.”In March, the Star disclosed the plight of Leslieville’s James Strachan, 40, who learned this year his licence had been under suspension since 2013 after he forgot to pay a speeding ticket f ...
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